IV Sedation

Dental care without the dread.

What Is Conscious IV Sedation?

Conscious IV sedation is a safe, controlled way to reduce anxiety during dental procedures. It involves administering a gentle anti-anxiety medication through a small cannula in your arm. Unlike general anaesthesia, you remain conscious and able to respond — but deeply relaxed, and often with little to no memory of the treatment afterwards.

Before Your Appointment

You'll have a consultation with Dr. Doherty or Dr. Amandine to discuss your medical history and any concerns, confirming IV sedation is the right option for you. We'll provide full instructions on eating, drinking, and medications. You will need to arrange a chaperone who will stay at the practice during your treatment.

After Your Procedure

You'll need your chaperone to take you home, as the effects of sedation can take hours to wear off fully. Rest for the remainder of the day and avoid strenuous activities. Some patients feel a little drowsy or forgetful afterwards — this is entirely normal and temporary.

About the Practice

Advantages

Deep relaxation — calm and at ease even during longer or more involved procedures
Rapid onset, with sedation levels adjusted as needed throughout your appointment
Little to no memory of the procedure for most patients
Closely monitored by Dr. Caoimhe Doherty and Halima, our dedicated sedation nurse
Versatile — suitable for extractions, implants, root canals, and complex restorations
Allows multiple treatments to be completed comfortably in a single appointment

Considerations

A responsible adult must accompany you and remain at the practice throughout your treatment
You must not drive, operate machinery, or sign legal documents for the remainder of the day
A pre-sedation consultation is required before every appointment
Not suitable for certain medical conditions, specific medication use, or during pregnancy
You must fast for a minimum of 6 hours before your appointment
Minor risks include temporary drowsiness, mild bruising at the cannula site, or a slight drop in blood pressure

Applications

Treatments we can perform under sedation.

Tooth Extractions

Especially where multiple teeth require removal, sedation allows the entire procedure to be carried out calmly and comfortably — often in a single appointment.

Oral Surgery

Surgical extractions, wisdom tooth removal, and other minor oral surgical procedures can be carried out under sedation for patients who prefer it or where complexity warrants it.

Dental Implants

Implant placement involves surgical steps that some patients find daunting. IV sedation allows the entire procedure to be completed in a relaxed state with minimal awareness.

Root Canal

For patients with significant dental anxiety, sedation ensures that even multi-canal endodontic procedures can be completed comfortably and without distress.

Complex Restorations

Lengthy restorative appointments can be condensed into a single, comfortable session under sedation — reducing the number of visits required.

Multiple Treatments

Where several procedures are planned, sedation enables us to complete them in one appointment rather than across multiple visits — ideal for patients who find even short dental appointments difficult.

Transparent Pricing

Sedation fees are in addition to the cost of the dental treatment carried out during the appointment. A full fee estimate will be provided at your pre-sedation consultation.

First Hour

£400

Pre-sedation monitoring included
Sedation administration by a qualified clinician
Covers the first hour of treatment under sedation
Continuous vital signs monitoring throughout
Recovery monitoring before discharge

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Each Additional Hour

£250

Charged per additional hour beyond the first
Allows complex procedures in a single session
Uninterrupted sedation maintained throughout
Full monitoring continues for the duration
No additional monitoring or setup fee

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“Cannot recommend Vere Dental enough. All the staff are lovely and welcoming and the facilities are excellent. Amandine is lovely, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience completely pain-free. Would highly recommend!”

Elizabeth

Google Reviewer